Munari’s The Circus in the Mist: when a book becomes design

Bruno Munari, The Circus in the Mist, Corraini Ed., January 2008 (5th reprint.)*

For many years the collective imagination thought about Milan as a foggy city. This image persisted till the end of the 70’s. Nowadays fog is gone away, because of the smog and the greenhouse effect. In 1968, when Bruno Munari published Nella nebbia di Milano (The Circus in the Mist) for Emme Edizioni, fog was still there. This particular tourist route across Milan greyness, instead of across its monuments, constitutes an intelligent, ironic and artistic provocation, that can be easily defined ingenious.

It is a picture book representing an object of design in itself. It is assembled like a machine in order to evoke visual experiences of absence from reality, almost metaphysical, and unique in its genre. The experience of the fog is made through the overlap of limpid cards, playing with colors and no colors, through fully illustrated cards made with cardboard and cut out in an artist book. As a matter of fact, Bruno Munari (1907-1998) was much more than one of the greatest italian designers. He was a great artist, a real protagonist of the Twentieth Century, linked to important movements such as Futurism and characters such as Lucio Fontana.

His production of children’s books (apparently for children since their message consists in a universal language going beyond the simple written communication) represented something really innovative: wordless books, picture books (for example by Gianni Rodari), ante litteram hypertexts, unreadable books (winner of the Gold Medal at the Triennale of Milan in 1957).

The first edition of The Circus in the Mist is an editorial bookbinding made with heavy cardboard and color illustrations to the top plate. This is a quite technical definition, but this is a rare book that can tempt any collector. Its value is estimated at around two or three hundred Euros.

Currently there is no copy on www.maremagnum.com or on www.abebooks.it, to name two of the greatest websites dedicated to collectors’ editions. They only offer some 70’s new editions (price: 50/60 €). Fortunately, for those who are not interested in books from a historical viewpoint but as far as concerns content, the book is available in the reprint by Corraini Edizioni that has dedicated a complete series to Munari’s books.

Thus, if you want to plunge yourselves in this unusual journey across Milan, which is a merciless portrait of black, stylized and geometric shapes, and live again the milky opacity of Milan’s fog, you can still do it.

Milan Travel Links
On the official tourism website, an itinerary focused on Milan and Design

Milan Nightlife and Salone del Mobile

Milan Furniture Fair (Salone Internazionale del Mobile) is one of most famous international furniture design exhibitions and attracts visitors from all over the world. During its last edition it attracted over 280 thousand people, among whom nearly 180.00 foreigners. The schedule of events, performances and exhibitions is varied and attractive. Here you can find an itinerary through Milan by night during the Salone del Mobile. The itinerary is always interesting and if you go to Milan during the off-season, you can equally visit them.

Design bars at the Triennale. If you travel to Milan during Salone del Mobile you are probably interested in italian design. The first step must be a visit to the Triennale di Milano, in the Palazzo dell’Arte of Sempione Park (via Alemagna 6). You could also visit an exhibition, since the Triennale – which is open until 10 o’clock P.M. – offers many temporary exhibitions focused on modern art and design. Many of them are free. Inside the building there is a delightful bar, Design Café which is characterized by the fact that it has totally different chairs – 54 to be exact – designed and realized by different artists. You can choose the one that inspires you the most. When the season is good, you can also reach the outdoor garden, where you can find the Fiat Café (open until 11.30 P.M. during the summer). In the park, too, you will have the possibility of sitting on a design realization, for example on a Gaetano Pesce’s bronze recliner that has a female shape with a ball at her foot, serving as footrest (remember that if you sit there during the summer the temperature is really high!). This is only the starting point.

Milan nightlife is endless and starts very early with the ritual of the aperitif. Bar Basso (via Plinio 39) is one of the historical bars of Milan. Famous international cocktails were created here. For example: Mangia e Bevi (ice cream with fresh fruit and liqueur), Negroni sbagliato (with sparkling wine instead of gin), served in a large and characteristic glass. During the Salone del Mobile, Bar Basso is one of the designers meeting points. On Tuesday – the traditional closing day – it often remains open for private parties. It all started in 1999, when it was organized a private party with foreign designers. Each person could invite ten people. At the end more than 1.000 people got to the party! There were famous people, including Simon Le Bon and his wife. Since then the bar has become a reference point during the Salone del Mobile.

Happy Hour. The Happy Hour belongs to the more ancient tradition of Milan aperitif dating back to the 1950s. It consists of a buffet with the possibility of freely eating whatever you want. It is a valid alternative to dinner, thanks to the wide offer including pasta, salami, chips, snacks and so on. During the Salone del Mobile the epicenter of Happy Hour is via Tortona (Porta Genova district), but people are practically everywhere in city, especially around Navigli area, Columns of San Lorenzo area and Garibaldi Station district.

Night at Plastic. For night-time lovers we finally talk about another famous place which during the Salone del Mobile organizes events and shows, especially as far as concerns music and Dj-sets. We are talking about the Plastic (Plastic Gallery, Viale Umbria 120) that is also a disco club. It is a very special place you will love or hate, according to your personal tastes. The offer is always focused on extreme fun and underground music. There are three areas inside the club but the most interesting place is undoubtedly the Privé. It is a very kitsch style area, a bit like in Pedro Almodovar’s movies, where you can find almost every kind of people: fun-loving and extravagant people, gays and drag queens who perfectly mingle with business men wearing a suit and tie.

A Day in Milan parks

Let’s think about a sunny day in Milan. You would like to spend a little time in total relax and take a walk through the urban green areas. We have a suggestion: a path through the four parks in the south area of Milan, with their spaces off from roads and traffics. By covering 9 miles, on foot or by bicycle, you will cross Sempione Park, Basilicas Park, Solari Park and Trenno Park, one of the biggest Milan parks. We can take this last one as starting point.

Trenno Park. Large lawns and long straights, its extension is over 590,000 square meters and it is situated in the west area of Milan. It is an ideal place to do sports, from football to jogging. During the week-end there are a lot of people making a picnic or spending a quiet afternoon. From there, walking for just an hour through the city streets, you can reach Solari Park.

Solari Park. It is smaller and more central. For this very reason its is well known and it is full of people at almost all hours. Opened in the 30’s, the park has a swimming pool with the same name. If you go there at lunchtime you will see students playing or studying, old people relaxing and a lot of children. It is ideal for a break – maybe eating an ice cream – in the south area of the city.

It is lunchtime. Before going towards Piazza Vetra to reach Basilicas Park you can have a walk through Navigli area, and lunch at Osteria Grand Hotel, a place with excellent food and wines according to old Milan style. This inn is also one of the “slow food points” in the city, that is to say public houses whose aim is to promote “the culture of quality food and to grant everyone the right to good and fair food” by “protecting alimentary biodiversity, made of typical flavors and traditional knowledge.” In short, you will have an unforgettable lunch.

During the postprandial time, a little sleepy and looking for shelter from the sun, you can quickly get to Basilicas Park, near Piazza di Porta Ticinese and St. Eustorgio Church. You will find almost everything there: shops, cultural monuments and a green lawn where to lay and – why not – take a nap.

Basilicas Park. It connects the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Eustorgio Church. It is a small park in the heart of Milan. Crowded by various sociological “species” – from kids after school to lovers searching for a romantic corner – it offers a group of mulberry trees and a rare celtis orientalis from Guinea. In the park you can also admire maples, birches, elms, plane trees, plums, oaks and limes. It is undoubtedly the most British park in Milan.

Walking for about two miles, passing through the Catholic University and Via Carducci, you will reach your final destination: Sempione Park. Here you can quietly spend the rest of the afternoon, resting, playing, reading or simply enjoying the life in the park and people who cross it. Sempione Park is one of the green lungs of the city, an area of over 385,000 square meters, completely fenced and now guarded. In the heart of the city, it also includes the Sforza Castle and it is 10 minutes walk from the Duomo. During spring and in the summer, thousands of people come here to spend their free time, run and play. It is the only big park in the city center.

San Siro Stadium: the Temple of Italian Football

As soon as you get to Malpensa Airport, through the large reproductions of two football players (Karl Heinze Rummenigge and Ruud Gullit) wearing different shirts but belonging to the same sport universe, you will immediately realize that Milan is one of the football capitals in Europe. We can easily state that, if deprived of the fiery football rivalry that characterizes it, the city would not be the same.

AC Milan and FC Internazionale, commonly known as Inter, defy each other, championship after championship, by mobilizing the whole Milan. It is sufficient to listen to what people say in the morning, to give just a little attention to the children’s shirts (and not only) around the city, to understand how these two teams are loved. Besides being world-famous teams and the most Italian popular ones together with Juventus, both of them have a long history stretching back more than 100 years ago: AC Milan was founded in 1899, whilst FC Internazionale in 1908 by 43 dissident members of the first team.

Spending a day at San Siro Stadium and seeing a football match is essential to fully understand Milan, especially for football fans. First of all, because Giuseppe Meazza Stadium (also called San Siro) is one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, secondly because a football match in San Siro is a real show full of colors and choirs.

Useful information. Both teams have their own website (AC Milan – Inter) where you can find all the information on matches and buy tickets online. Otherwise you can buy the tickets in some Banks (Banca Intesa and San Paolo as far as concerns Milan, Banca Popolare as far as concerns Inter). Many times, especially in case of the most important matches, it is recommended to buy the tickets outside the stadium, where it is usually possible to find them unless there is a complete sold out.

There are different prices and seats: the cheapest area is the third one (seats from 300 on), from which players can be seen but from a certain distance; then there is the second area (seats from 200 to 300) from which, paying 20/25 Euros, you can have a good view on the field; finally there is the first area whose price is definitely much higher (between 60 and 400 Euros in the gallery) where you will easily see the players’ faces.

The most awaited match is undoubtedly Milan – Inter, that is to say the Derby: sold out, a lot of warmth, rivalry and almost always remarkable choreographies. It is quite difficult to find a ticket, but this match is worth to be seen. This year the Derby will be played on January 15, 2012 and on May 6, 2012. Take a note.

How to get to San Siro. The Stadium is located at via Piccolomini 5. It is advisable not to use car, since bottleneck is assured. Whilst the works for Subway line 5 keep on (this line will directly reach the Stadium) you can get to San Siro by line 1, getting off at Lotto stop. From there a shuttle will take you in front of the stadium. If you are on a motorbike or a bicycle you can get right up to the stadium.

For those who will not be able to see a match – because during the summer there is no league, because of unfortunate coincidences or simply because they do not want to see it – it is possible to make a tour around the Stadium and visit the museum and the shop. A guide will accompany you inside, through the galleries, the press room and the changing rooms. The museum is located inside the stadium. The entrance is at number 14 and it is open every day from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. The guided tours, departing every 20 minutes, start here. For information and reservations, send an email to tour@sansirotour.com or call +39 02 4042432 (www.sansirotour.com).

Top fairs in Milan

One of the most striking characteristics of Milan is the great number of exhibitions which are held every year in the city. Exhibition Calendar is always rich and full of interesting meetings. Here you can find some of the most important Milan fairs that will be held in the next few months:

AF – L’ARTIGIANO IN FIERA (The International Crafts Selling Exhibition)
This exhibition is totally devoted to craftsmanship in order to show original gift ideas and meet artisans from all over the world. Here you will have the opportunity of admiring the creativity of about 3.000 craftsmen coming from 110 countries.

When: from 3 to 11 December 2011
Timetable: Every day from 10:00 am to 10:30 pm (except on 5-6 December: from 3:00 pm to 10:30 pm)
Where: Fieramilano – Rho (MM)
Website: www.artigianoinfiera.it
Entrance: free

SALONE DEL LIBRO USATO (Second-hand Books Exhibition)
One of the most important Italian exhibitions dedicated to second-hand books and out-of-catalogue books. Here you will have the chance of finding and buying a great variety of editorial products: comics, rare books, second-hand books, film posters and so on.

When: from 7 to 10 December 2011
Where: Fieramilanocity (Pavilion 3, Viale Scarampo)
Timetable: from 10 am to 7 pm
Website: www.salonelibrousatomilano.com
Entrance: free

ESPOSIZIONE INTERNAZIONALE CANINA
An exhibition focused on dogs and dogs lovers. It represents the most important dog show in Italy and one of the main ones in Europe.

When: 14-15 January 2012
Where: Fieramilano – Rho
Website: www.gruppocinofilomilanese.it

MACEF
Macef is the most important meeting opportunity in Italy for the great home design brands and for buyers. The January Exhibition is particularly focused on Tableware and Kitchenware.

When: 26-29 January 2012
Timetable: from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm
Where: Fieramilano – Rho
Website: www.macef.it

SALONE DEL MOBILE (Furniture fair)
Perhaps the most famous Milan exhibition where you can find better italian and international design companies. In this occasion, there are a lot of important creative side events, that transform the city and animate the nightlife.

When: 17-22 Aprile 2012
Timetable: from 9.00 am to 6.30 pm
Where: Fieramilano – Rho
Website: www.cosmit.it

Milan Fashion weeks and more…

Milan is known for being a landmark for fashion. This is not a novelty. Every year thousands of people overflow into the city to attend fashion shows, to enjoy the chic nightlife or simply to go shopping. Milan is responding to this increasing presence of visitors with a growth of events related to the fashion world.

September and February are the most important months for Milan fashion. Events and initiatives, culminate in the Fashion Week: Spring/Summer event held in February – March of each year and Autumn/Winter event held in September – October of each year . The Fashion Week is characterized by hundreds of shows and events all throughout the city, that lead to a complete sell-out as far as concerns hotels and restaurants. In a few words, a true paradise for social life addicts, but less recommended for those people who do not like crowds, chaos and traffic.

Men and Women Fashion weeks in Milan represent reference points for fashion exactly like Paris, London, Tokyo and New York ones. Events can be found all throughout the city, but there are in particular two “hot” areas: the area close to Piazza Duomo, that is to say Loggia dei Mercanti, Via della Spiga and Brera, and the South area, that is to say via Tortona – also renown for the Salone del mobile – and via Bergognone.

But there is more. For the most critical and alternative people there is So Critical So Fashion, a parallel event dedicated to “critical, ethical and independent” Fashion. That is how the organizers define the event, by underlining:

“We want to give space to environmentally conscious small companies, young independent brands that are refined and rich in tradition, socially responsible stylistic projects which propose critical consumption supporting a sustainable fashion, without forgetting beauty, quality, innovation and trends.”

Music in Milan

Among the characteristics that make Milan one of the European capitals there is undoubtedly music. The city is more and more animated by a wide – almost endless – network of places where you can enjoy music, from folk festivals up to the most prestigious music clubs. The offer of music in Milan is not quantifiable.

Its multicultural side has made the city more and more open to international influences. For this very reason it is not unusual to listen to South American Salsa, Gypsy melodies, African rhythms and reggae music. But let’s follow a certain order.

Milan is at the center of the Italian music scene first of all for the great amount of live performances that take place in the city. Many international bands stop in Milan to play the only Italian date of their tours. It is really difficult to find a day without any live performances in the city. We can think about Milan Jazzin’ Festival – that take place during the summer at the Arena Civica – about Latinamericando – that takes place at Lampugnano area – or about Gods of Metal included in Rock in Idrho.

Therefore, the first reason why Milan can be considered the Italian capital of music is represented by the international and national concerts that take place every year in the city. The second one consists in the multitude of music places located in the city which are opened all week long and have a great live music offer, very often at really good prices. We can talk, for example, about two of the most famous public places in Milan: the Arci Magnolia, a true point of reference in the last years, and Santeria, an area of over 500 square meters, where music starts to play at 9 o’clock in the morning. Here you can also have a coffee in its cafeteria and buy records. There are hundreds of music places scattered throughout the city.

Other fascinating places are represented by the most prestigious clubs where, by paying a little more, you are always sure to listen to great value music. One of the most renowned places for Jazz and Blues addicts is Blue note which is located at Isola district.

Another popular phenomenon consists in clubs, offering a wide choice, from house and techno music to rock ‘n’ roll. Social centers, too, represent a great resource for the city. There, for a few odd coins, you can listen to music every day. They are also good locations for those who want to perform. The biggest one in Milan is Leoncavallo, a public self-managed place in Watteau Street where – especially during the week-ends – you can find reggae and hip-hop parties but also electronic music, from drum’n bass to techno music.

In a word, in Milan you can find a highly different and varied music offer suitable for all ages and all tastes, an immense range of places – from cheaper to more expensive ones – who share a common thread: music. Milan is definitely one of the European capitals of music.

• Here more informations about Milan music.